XP Startup - Must be simple because I can't solve it!

[hobferret]

Good morning all

I gotta problem with XP Pro

Since Tuesday this week; every time XP starts up I keep getting the system32 folder loaded

Everything else is there but this bloody darn folder is annoying me

Tried all the usual things, i.e. the startup folders, the registry and msconfig but nothing is found. Even done a full virus scan still to no avail

So whatever it is I honestly ain't got a clue, however, there must be one of you reading this who does know what is causing it!

Any suggestion, no matter how stupid, will be appreciated

/hobferret

I remember having some similar unusual behaviour quite a while back.

Check your

\Documents and Settings\??????\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\

for any Invalid/Stale links (*.lnk) etc. that a program "forgot" to uninstall. If the binary pointed to by the *.lnk is not there anymore (eg. system32 directory) then the directory will be opened by explorer.exe because the actual FILE does not exist.

MSCONFIG does not list/check the Quick Launch links. And this also assumes you have your "Quick Launch" toolbar VISIBLE in you TaskBar, but will ALSO exhibit SIMILAR behaviour if NOT visible.

Hope this helps you.

nullz

[hobferret]

nullz

Nothing there either mate

/hobferret

My recollection of your EXACT problem I had I think was wrong because it was quite a while ago (on XP also). I do remember it was VERY annoying and was either related to a STALE *.lnk or even old *.PIF or even a "custom" TaskBar "toolbar". So a search for "suspicious" stale *.lnk *.pif may be useful.

And perhaps on another tack, checking the folders
\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\
\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\

for any that you know are not standard/wanted may be useful because maybe an added Service *.dll is missing.

I do know that I solved it (for my similar annoying situation) and that it was related to some of above.

I cannot recall ALL the exact details unfortunately. My memory must fading

I hope this helps again

EDIT:

Ahh. Things are coming back to me I think. I remember now that stripper 2.07 final installed a Service (Device Manager -> Show Hidden Device -> engine???) that after I manually deleted the engine.sys (or ran "engine killer.bat") these explorer "system32" folder problems on startup occurred.

My ditto hopes yet again that this helps

[dedificator]

Try last version of Autoruns from sysinternals.
Now this prog is capable to show & edit all startup things, including services and so on ... , what is missing in msconfig. Nice.

[hobferret]

Thanks for all your replies

Just managed to fix it, lunchtime Friday. Got all messed up yesterday with the bloody terrorists bombings in London

Searching thru the registry and looking for anything related to system32 I found this:-

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Shell REG_SZ Explorer.exe C:\Windows\System32

Deleting that key has cured the problem

Thanks again

/hobferret

[SLV]

Simply try: Run->msconfig

[hobferret]

SLV

You obviously didn't read my first post, I had already done that

Anyways, it's fixed now see my post before this one

/hobferret

[JMI]

hobferret:

You and the rest of Britian please keep safe out there. This new lot obviously hasn't learned the lessons of history. London has been bombed may times since WWI and the Zepplines (not including internal religious issues). IRA bombers did not achieve their political aims with bombs and this group will not either. It is always inspirational the way London's very diverse population, with their widely differing political views, pulls themselves together when such senseless violence occurs and refuses to knuckle under to such barbarism.

Regards,

[hobferret]

JMI mate:

We will do our best at keeping safe, easier saying than doing in these troubled times. One never knows what the hell is going to happen next, the main concern for the Brits and others over here is the fact that this was not picked up by the security services.

The worst bit for me yesterday was the fact that I have a niece here in London, she always gets the tube at King's Cross underground around 8.45am, worse still was the fact she uses the Piccadilly line. Could not contact her at all and it was a worrying time, however, it transpired that all the mobile networks were down, eventually she rang around midday and boy was I relieved to hear her voice. She was very lucky, she was on the train immediately before the one which carried the bomb.

My condolences go out to those who died and their families and my sympathy to the ones who are injured their families too. For around 3 hours I believe I knew how they are feeling right now.

They can do what the hell they want but they will never succeed, I just hope that GWB and Mr Blair and the rest of the democratic world will use this to speed up their assault on terrorism. When they catch up with them they should put the whole lot together in a field with a cemtex collar around their necks, timed to go off at 1 minute intervals.

/hobferret